Re: [pf] Houseplants

by Holly R

12 December 2000 18:12 UTC

Diane,

I've also heard this about houseplants, and as far as
I know it's an accepted approach to addressing
problems with indoor air quality.  Phytoremediation is
also an important strategy for cleaning up polluted
land.  A couple of places to find out more are:

http://www.plants4cleanair.org/ (has close ties to
Wolverton, but also lists several independent sources)

http://www.nwf.org/nwf/natlwild/1999/healthj9.html

Also, Bill Wolverton
(http://www.wolvertonenvironmental.com), the NASA
scientist who conducted the study cited, has published
two books, _How to Grow Fresh Air_, and _Eco-friendly
Houseplants_.  

--hlr



--- "Fitzsimmons, Diane" <dcfitzsimmons@ou.edu> wrote:
> This came from another list I'm on.  Any comments as
> to accuracy?  Diane
> 
> HOUSEPLANTS THAT CLEAN THE AIR
> In a study for NASA, Wolverton Environmental
> Services (a firm 
> specializing in solving environmental pollution
> problems) 
> studied indoor plants and found the following
> percentages of 
> toxins removed by one plant in a 12-cubic-foot area,
> during a 24 
> hour period.
> COMMON NAME TOXIN REMOVED
> Aloe vera    Formaldehyde: 90%
> Golden pothos    Carbon monoxide: 75%, Benzene: 67% 
> Formaldehyde 47%
> Elephant ear philodendron    Formaldehyde: 86%
> Janet Craig (corn plant)    Benzene 79%
> English ivy    Benzene: 90%
> Peace lily    Benzene: 80%,Trichloroethylene: 50%
> Ficus (weeping fig)    Formaldehyde: 47%
> Spider plant    Carbon monoxide: 96%
> 
> 
>